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Are 2016 Workforce Predictions Coming True?

Every year it gets worse. This week I went into my local chain craft store for some Fourth of July décor (who doesn’t love tiny American flags and red, white and blue glow sticks, am I right?). Only on my way to the aisle I walked past Christmas ornaments. Yes, folks, Santa and his reindeer are already on the shelves.

Because retailers are rushing me to December, I thought it was a good time to check in on a few of those classic trend predictions articles that start popping as we enter a new year.

First up, Fast Company’s 6 Ways Work Will Change in 2016 predicted that today’s managers might look a bit different than before. John Bersin of Deloitte explained, “Most companies, even big companies, are much less hierarchal and much less top-down in their execution than they used to be. Leaders are finding that they have to be more inspirational, they have to be more collaborative. The traditional approach to performance management and performance appraisals is being revolutionized, they’re throwing away ratings, they’re putting in systems to provide feedback, and the gap that’s being created is, ‘Who are the right leaders?'”

The key word here is collaborative. New, ongoing forward-focused performance review processes are uncovering talented (and in some cases, under-qualified) managers. In either case, organizations are better poised to develop their managerial skills because they’ll know more quickly where and when action needs to be taken.

In 2016 it’s imperative for managers to be supportive mentors and coaches for their teams. To learn more about how to shift the focus to coaching, Harvard Business Review featured a great article on the coaching mindset and benefits of this approach.

So, what happens when managers are better? So are their employees. This trend has staying power, as many companies will reap the benefits from creating a development-focused culture in their workplaces.

Next on my list is U.S. News & World Report’s 7 Workplace and Employment Trends to Anticipate in 2016, where they had this to say about the traditional performance review: “If you’re one of those workers who dreads the annual performance evaluation, with its awkward feedback and calls for self-reflection, you may be in luck in 2016… Instead, experts say, the move is toward more regular and informal feedback, where managers and employees address performance issues organically, not on a rigid schedule.”

This one is a no-brainer. Study after study has found that moving to more frequent, real-time coaching and feedback produces a more engaged, productive workforce. And HighGround was really developed on this premise – the heart of our platform is that it’s a place where employees and managers can make performance a deeper, more positive part of its company culture. We don’t expect to see this on many more trends’ lists – it’s quickly becoming the norm.

The last trend I’ll cover here is around employee rewards, featured in SHRM’s blog post, 2016 Predictions For Employee Engagement & Recognition. From the article: “Back in the days when employees stayed with their companies for 10 or 20 years, it was considered a status symbol to receive a branded pen or an engraved gold watch with a message from the CEO… Non-monetary recognition that is social, which means it can be seen by peers, commented on, and even shared on outside networks, is the new reward currency.”

Today careers are built on a series of roles, often at a series of different organizations. Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers all have different work styles and traits, but what ties them together is the need to be recognized for their work – in real-time and by their peers. Our own Chief Engagement Officer Andee Harris recently blogged about her experience with recognition using HighGround’s platform.

How would you rate your company’s progress toward implementing new engagement strategies in 2016? Were any of the above a big part of your HR transformation? In just a few short months, the 2017 trend predictions will start being published… don’t wait too long!